Holidays for Couples Holidays for Couples Apr-Sep 2017 - Page 47

india // asia
“Rajasthan is a land of vibrant colour, regal
palaces and magnificent forts... its colours no
more evident than on the streets of Jodhpur”
Opposite page:
(Left) Chandni Chowk is
one of the oldest and
busiest markets in Old
Delhi. (Top right) For
obvious reasons,
Jodhpur is also known
as ‘the blue city‘.
(Bottom right) Once a
palace , the imposing
Mehrangarh Fort is now
a museum. This page:
(Top) A man smokes a
hookah. (Right) Dancers
entertain onlookers
in front of the
Mehrangarh Fort
a pre-dinner G&T. It also affords a dramatic view of the
Mehrangarh Fort, one of the largest and most spectacular
in India. With foundations dating back to 1459, it sits atop
a 125m-high cliff-edged hill. Rudyard Kipling wrote of it,
“the work of angels, fairies and giants... built by Titans and
coloured by the morning sun…” It’s a fitting description.
Leaving Jodhpur we headed south-east for the three-hour
drive to our next destination, the luxury tented camp, Chhatra
Sagar (chhatrasagar.com). In the late 19th century, a powerful
nobleman decided to dam a seasonal stream flowing through
his estate. By the early 20th century it was a lush green oasis
and the waterway was lined with a temporary tented camp
where visiting dignitaries would gather for high teas and
exotic dinners. A century later, the nobleman’s great-
grandchildren have once again turned this oasis into
a sanctuary for travellers looking for a unique experience.
Forget camping, this is glamping at its best. Eleven luxury
tents sit alongside the dam, sharing the same magical view
across the water. Each tent is hand-stitched, the interiors
block-printed in traditional floral motifs and filled with
locally produced furniture. They’re insanely spacious, with
a large bathroom and private outdoor seating area from which
to view the golden sunrise.
Great-grandsons, Harsh, Raj and Nandi, are wonderful
hosts who take their guests birdwatching in the surrounding
wetlands and to visit the local village. Morphing into
maître d’, sommelier and waiters at mealtimes (serving
excellent home-cooked food and surprisingly good Indian
wine), they made our short stay at Chhatra Sagar truly
memorable. And after the chaos and noise of Old Delhi
and Jodhpur, this one-night stop in the countryside,
where we were able to bond with fellow travellers
on similar journeys, was a tonic to the soul.
Driving in India is not for the faint-hearted. Barrelling
down the new highway for three hours to our next destination,
the village of Chanoud, we passed dozens of trucks labouring
under heavy loads, motor bikes carrying three or four people,
and even a shepherd, casually walking his herd of goats
holidaysforcouples.travel 45